Safety milk-bottle retainer



July 13 1926.

1.. E. ,ABBE SAFETY MILK BOTTLTQ] RETAINER Filed Jan. 2a. 1925 /fiven/qr.' Lee 5 #1646 Patented July 13, 1926.

Liar: n, Anna, on SALEM, onneon' E OF V SAFETY MILK-BOTTLERETAINER.

1 Application filed January This invention relates to devices for safeguarding bottles of milk from theft or contamination after delivery toithe customer.

The primary object of my invention'is the'provision ofa receptacle for milk bottles in which the bottlesmay be depos ted by the delivery man 1 within the retainer without trouble or delay and which retains the bottle in a safe and protected manner wherein the bottleitselfserves to prevent the Opening of the retainer except: by one having a key thereto. j I

' Other objects and advantages relating to details of construction and arrangement of parts will bereadily 'apparentin the course of the detaileddescription to follow.

The accompanying'drawings illustrate by way of example one form in which myinvention may beembodied, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a milk bottle retainer embodying my invention shown in closed condition.

Fig. 2 is a vertical-cross sectional view on the line 2-2ofFigg8 and showing a pint milk-bottletherein to illustrate the ac tion of the means provided to guard against unauthorized opening of the case.

Fig; 3 is a view in on line 3-j3 of Fig. 2; 7

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 2 with the upper slide cover removedjand with parts being broken away to disclose construction. Fig. 5 is a view in horizontal cross section on line 55 of Fig. 2, showing the drawer pulled out in placing a bottle in the retainer. Fig. 6-is a perspective view of one of the guard-plates detached. 7 v or Referring to said views, the reference numerals 1 and 2 indicate the 'opposite side walls of the casing ofmy improved milkbottle retainer, and 3 and 4 the rear and front walls thereof, respectively. Said casing is formed of sheet metal in rectangular configuration and its sidewalls 1 and 2 are formed at their upper edges with corresponding horizontal, inturned flanges 5. The upper edge of the r'earwall 3 is"si1ni larly flangediinwardly, as at 6, at a lower elevationthan the flanges 5. 4 terminates at a distance below the flanges 5 to aflord an entrance slot 7 for a slidecover 8 to open and close the upper end of the retainer. When closed the slide-cover rests at the rear upon the flange 6 and under the flanges 5. The forward edge of the cover is turned downwardly, as at 9, and

vertical cross section" The front wall as, 1925.] SeriaI No. 5,222.

maybe formed with a slot 10 through which a staple 10 rigidly mounted in the front wall-may extend. Aw padlock 11 is utilized to lock the cover in closed'position in a well understoodmanner.

r The bottom of the retainer case is provided with a transverse strip 12 adjacent the front Wall 4 and may be integral with one of the side walls. The major portion of said bottom is left open for the entrance of themilkbottle 13 except for the flanges 14 projecting inwardly from the-side and rear walls upon which and said strip a drawer 15 is adapted vto'slide. The front wall 4 terminates'short of the strip 12 to provide an opening16 across the front ofthe casing to admit the entrance-of said "drawer. The drawer 15 1s formed with a plane bottom 17 and marginal 'walls 18 extending upwardly for approxi' mately one-half an inch ,to slide freely through the opening 16.. The front wall 19 p of the drawer maybe of somewhat greater width'so thatits upper edge will engage the lower outer face of the front wall 4 of the case. A lug 20 extends outwardly, from the front wall 1'? through'which the drawer may be manipulated. I

A shallow-U-shaped frame 21 is rigidly attached to the front wall ofthe case and has a bar 22 at each side in close proximity to the side walls 1 and 2. Said bars extend upwardly to the plane of the upper edge of the front wall 4 and of the flange 6 to provide additional tracks upon which the slide-cover 8 may be supported. Adjacent the lower edges ofthe bars 22 lugs 23 are integrally formed to, providea rest for a 27 extending laterally from the fore edges thereof and which are mounted for swing ing movementsin the bars 22. Said plates are arranged in superposed relation and are arranged in the frame to have their rear edges extend toward the rearwall 3 in pro- 1 gressively closer relation from the lowest to the highest plate. The lowermost plate 24 rest s upon the lugs 23 with the next plate 25 supported thereby while the upper plate 26 rests upon the plate 25 whenin inoperative position.

Said guard-plates extend toward the rear wall of the case'to progressively greater dis-' tances from the lower plate 24 of the topmost plate 26, as has been stated, the purpose being to admit sufi'icient space between the rear, tree edge of the respective plate and the rear wall 3 to receive a standard milkbottle of quart, pint and half-pint sizes, respectively, therebetween to prevent thebottle being shifted in the retainer. for the purpose of unauthorized removal, as will be more fully explained.

The operation of my bottle retaining devices may bedescribed as follows: Vi it-h the slideecover closed and looked as indicated in Fig.1 and the case empty, the deliverer of themilk will firstpull out the drawer 15, as shown in Fig. 5, to an extent that will allow him to push a bottle of milk. or cream upwardly through the opening; thus made in the bottom of the case. He holds the bottle pushed up in the case with the fingers of one hand so that it is above the drawer and then pushes back the drawer into the case while allowing the bottle to slip down onto the drawer as he withdraws his hand and to be'supported thereby, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2.

In placing the bottle as described a halfpint bottle will not di place any of the plates but will substantially fill up the space betweenthe furtherest projecting. plate 26 and the rear wall 3.- In the case of a pint bottle the plate 26 will be displaced and shoved upwardly by the bottle, as seen in Fig. 2, while a quart bottle will tilt upwardly both plates 25 and 26 and-lie between the smallest plate 24 and the rear walL.

When positioned as described" the bottles cannot be removed from the retainer in a clandestine manner for if it is attempted to pull the drawer out to reach within. the casing, the rear wall 18 of the drawer will be. blocked by the bottle itself which cannot move with the drawer owing to the respective plate 24, 25 or 26 blocking the way. To remove the bottle. the slide-cover. 8 must be unlocked and the bottle removed from the opened top which, upon the removal of the bottle, automatically replaces the retainer in condition to receive anew bottle.

Although I have described my invention with considerable detail I wish. it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise. construction: shown as it is deemed that various changes. in details. of construction and. modification of arrangement may be. made in. the invention. within the. scope of. the claims without. departing. from the spirit of the invention. For example, the casing may be constructed to provide for the reception of a plurality of bottles by duplication of the described apparatus within a single casing having rigid vertical partitions between the several bottle-holding compartments.

Having. described my invention, what I claim as new, i's':

1.. A milk-bottle. retainer, consisting of a casing, an openabl'e cover at the upper end of said casing,- means. to lock said cover,,and a slidalole drawer forming. the bottom oi said casing and providing an entrance when openinto the casing, said drawer having a bottle-engaging wall at its rear end.

2. A milk-bottle retainer, consisting of a casing, an openable cover at. the upper end of the casing, means to lock the cover, a slidablc drawer forming the bottom of said casing. and providing an entrance into the casing when withdrawn, said drawer having a bottle-engaging wall at its rear end, and means engageable with the front of the bottle to prevent forward movement thereof.

3. A milk-bottle. retainer, comprising a casing having a lockable cover, a bottom drawer slidable in the casingv andaifording an opening in the bottom of the casing when said drawer is withdrawn, means provided on said drawer to' engage bottle seated upon the drawer, and means adaptable to the various sizes ofhottles to hold them adjacent. the rear wall of the casing.

L. 1. milk-bottle retainer, comprising a casing having a. cover, a. bottom drawer slidable in the. casing and. affording an opening in the bottom. of the casing when said drawer is withdrawn, means provided on the drawer to engage. a. bottle seated upon. the drawer, and a plurality of. plates pivotally connected adjacentthe front wall of'tlie casing and. extending in horizontal directions to engage the bottle placed upon said drawer.

5. A milk-bottle retainer, comprising a casing having a cover, abottom drawer slidable in. the. casing. and. affording. an opening in the bottom of the casing. when said drawer is withdrawn, means provided on the drawer. to engage a bottle. seated upon the drawer, and a. plurality of superposed plates pivotally mountedadjacent the front wall of the casing, the overlying plates, respectively, extending, further. toward the rear. wall of the casing than the one immediately therebelow'.

LEE E. ABBE'. 

